Lining device for caskets and the like



C. W. LUSBY LINING DEVICE FOR GASKETS AND THE LIKE March 6,

2 Sheetsa 1 Aug N VENTOR,

1W Q I E I Afro/m ys March 6, 1951 c. w. LUSBY 1.1mm: DEVICE FOR GASKETSAND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1948 MN H I I I I I r I 1 1I I I I/ II I/ I I l I I I I/ I I I I I I I INVENTOR. CarZ 14 Z asATTOFP/VfVS Patented Mar. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINING- DEVICE FOR GASKETS AND THE LIKE Carl. W. Lusby, MountVernon,Ohio Application August 6, 1948, Serial No. 42,874

2 Claims. i

This invention relates to a combination casket and. vault.

An object of the invention is the provision of a casket-vaultcombination which is airtight and water-proof and which has suificientstrength to withstand the weight of the soil so that the casket willoperate the same as a vault, said vault being manufactured fromnon-porous and rust-proof materials thereby eliminating danger ofdisintegration, the lid being cemented to the casket to providesubstantially a unitary enclosure, a lining supported by a framework.being insertable into the casket as a unit independently of the lid orcasket.

A further object of the invention is the pro.- vision of a casket formedof plastics materials which will not disintegrate under varyingconditions of the soil of a grave, and which is not only impervious tomoisture but is airtight, the lid being sealed to the top of the casketby a operating tongue and groove formation and a cement to. produce aone-piece unit. The transversely curved lid for resisting the weight ofthe soil in a grave, in conjunction with the type of materials employedin the manufacture of the lid and casket, transforms said burial unitinto a vault. The interior side walls of the casket are lined with asuitable fabric which may be attached removably to a foldable frameworkinsertable into the casket as an independent unit.

The invention is best understood from a consideration of the followingdetailed description in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming part of the specification, nevertheless, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not confined to the disclosure, but is susceptibleof such changes and modifications as shall define no material departurefrom the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: 7

Figure l is a plan view of an improved combination casket and vault.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the casket with parts broken way to show thehandle construction.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section of the lid and awall of the casket.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View in perspective of one end of aremovable frame for supporting a lining for the interior side walls ofthe body portion of the casket.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of an attachingclip secured to an interior lining, and

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a bar of thesupporting frame and a floor board disclosing a means for attachingremovably the frames to said board.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, It designates the bottom ofa casket having integrally formed side walls H and endwalls [2. It willbe noted from Figure 2 that the end walls and side walls are thickeralong the bottom edges to provide an external flange 13. The upper edgesof said walls are thickened to form a peripheral flange it. around theelongated entrance to said casket.

Each side wall has three inwardly bent portions forming pockets 20. Ahandle 2! formed integrally with the side walls projects outwardly anddownwardly and the lower edge 22 thereof terminates approximately midwaybetween the upper and lower edges of each pocket. The inbent portions 23provide sufficient space for the reception of the fingers and hand of apallbearer. As shown in Figure 3 the extreme outer surfaces of thehandles lie in a vertical plane passing through the side faces of theflanges I3 and I l so the handles will not appear from the top of thecasket (Figure 1).

The upper edge of the peripheral flange [4 has a continuous dove-tailedgroove 25 which is broader at the bottom 26 than at the open end. Acontinuous rib or tongue 2? depends from the underface 23 of aperipheral flange 29 of a top or closure 30 and is received by thegroove 25. The width of the upper portion of the rib where it joins thebottom face 28 of the flange 29 is narrower than the bottom thereof toprovide slanting side walls which are substantially parallel to theadjacent slanting side walls of the groove 25. However, the side wallsof the rib and groove and the bottoms of said rib and grooves are spacedfrom each other to receive a cement 3! which when hardened will seal thetop to the casket. Some of the cement will be squeezed out of the grooveand form a thin layer between the top of the walls of the casket and thebottom face 28 of the top 36. Any cement which is pressed outwardly ontothe exterior will be wiped or scraped off.

The top or closure 39 is manufactured of some suitable plasticsmaterial, as is the body of the casket. The exterior surface of theclosure and body may be polished or otherwise treated to provide variouseffects. The inner surface may be given an opaque coating. The closure,however, has a transparent portion 35 which covers the upper half of thebody so that portion of the body may be viewed after the lid has beensealed in place. Before the casket is removed from a home or anestablishment, the transparent portion is covered by a sheet of paper orcloth, or a coating which will dry quickly is applied thereto. The lidis curved transversely for the purpose of strength in order that the lidwill support the weight of the earth in the grave.

The flange 29 at one end of the lid 30 is provided with a pair ofthreaded passages closed normally by threaded glass plugs 36. Thethreaded passages are intended to receive threaded nipples attached to atube for supplying various chemicals which aid in the preservation ofthe body. One of the passages is employed as an inlet while the otherpassage oper ates as an outlet.

Another type of lid or enclosure may be employed with the elimination ofthe clear glass section 35 when it is undesirable to expose the body toview. In this case, the lid is formed of two sections which are fittedtogether midway between the ends of the casket and sealed with a cementof the type which is used to seal or look the rib 21 in the groove 25.

The interior of the casket is lined with a suitable material 40 which mabe pleated or provided with folds. The material may be a fabric employedgenerally in the manufacture of caskets or it may be in the form ofsheets of some suitable plastics material.

Means is employed for retaining the fabric neatly in place and consistsof a pair of rectangular side frames at which are hinged together at 62at the inner contacting ends (Figure 2) So that said frames may befolded upon each other for storage. End frames 43 have their oppositeends arranged in abutting relation with the side frames 4|, adjacent tothe opposite ends of the side frames. It will be noted from Figures 2and that the top bars of the frames are provided with transverse notches45 to receive hooks 45 attached at 4'. in any approved manner to theinner face of the fabric. The bottom edge of the fabric may be cementedor tacked to the lower bars of the frames.

A fioor board 50 may be made in sections and hinged together in the samemanner as the side frames. Clips 5| are secured at 52 to the ends andsides of the board at such spaced intervals that they will be receivedby notches 53 formed in the bottom bars of the frames for connecting theframes in position. A cushion is placed on the board to receive the bodyand a pillow is disposed on the cushion to receive the head.

It is to be borne in mind that the board 53, the frames 4!, 43 and thefabric 40 are independent of the casket and are assembled for insertioninto said casket. In this way the fabric may be stored in boxes so thatthe purchaser may select the style of fabric he desires for the interiorlining. The frames may be manufactured of some light material asaplastic, wood or cellophane.

The casket also operates as a burial vault since it is builtsubstantially strong to withstand the weight of the soil placed in thegrave. Furthermore, the materials employed in the manufacture of thecombined casket and vault are not only water-proof but are airtight.When the lid 30 is sealed in place it cannot be removed. Furthermore,the lid and body portion, when manu- 4 factured, may be provided withsuitable decorations.

What I claim:

1. A lining device for caskets and the like, comprising a flatrectangular floor panel removably mounted within the casket and arrangedupon the bottom of the casket, open upstanding rectangular side framesremovably mounted within the casket upon the floor panel and disposedadjacent to the sides of the casket and including top and bottomhorizontal rails and vertical end rails connecting the top and bottomrails, the top and bottom rails of the side frames being provided withlongitudinally spaced notches, open upstanding rectangular end framesremovably mounted within the casket adjacent to the ends thereof andarranged between the upstanding side frames at the opposite ends of theside frames, the end frames including substantially horizontal top andbottom rails having longitudinally spaced notches formed therein andvertical end rails disposed adjacent to and laterally inwardly of thevertical end rails of the side frames in substantially contactingrelation therewith, clips secured to th side and end edges of the floorpanel and having parts projecting above the floor panel for engagementWithin the notches of the bottom rails of the side and end frames, hooksfor engagement within the notches of the top rails of the side and endframes, and a lining of thin sheet material for the casket and arrangedupon the inner sides of the side and end frames and extending entirelyabout the sides and ends of the casket and secured near its top to thehooks, the hooks serv-- ing to suspend the lining from the side and endframes, the lining extending from the top rails of the side and endframes substantially to the bottom of the casket.

2. A lining device for caskets and the like, comprising a fiatrectangular floor panel to be removably mounted upon the bottom of thecasket and extending for substantially the entire distances between theends and sides of the casket, open upstanding rectangular side framesremovably mounted within the casket adjacent to the sides of the casketand disposed upon the floor panel adjacent to the side edges thereof,the side frames including companion longitudinally extending framesections hinged together near the longitudinal center of the casket, theframe sections being foldable upon each other for storage, each framesection including a top and bottom rail provided in their upper faceswith longitudinally spaced notches and substantially vertical outer endrails connecting the outer ends of the top and bottom rails, openrectangular end frames mounted upon the floor panel adjacent to itsopposite ends and arranged close to and inwardly of the ends of thecasket, the end frames including top and bottom substantially horizontalrails, provided in their upper faces with longitudinally spaced notchesand substantially vertical end rails arranged adjacent to and inwardlyof the outer end rails of the side frame sections and in substantiallycontacting relation with such outer end rails, substantially L-shapedbrackets secured to the side and end edges of the floor panel andprojecting above the fioor panel for engagement in the notches of thebottom rails of the side frame sections and end frames and serving toposition the side frames with respect to the end frames, hooks engagingwithin the notches of the top rails of the side frame sections and endframes, and a lining of thin 5 sheet material connected with andsupported by the hooks and arranged upon the inner sides of the sideframes and end frames, the linin extending substantially to the bottomof the casket and being secured at its bottom edge to the bottom railsof the side frame sections and end frames.

CARL W. LUSBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Butler Mar. 3, 1891 WestFeb. 12, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 23, 1915

